Sitamarhi district
|SexRatio = 892 |Tehsils = |LokSabha = Sitamarhi |Assembly = Riga, Bathnaha, Parihar, Sursand, Bajpatti, Sitamarhi, Runnisaidpur, Belsand |Highways = NH 104,NH 77 |Website = http://sitamarhi.bih.nic.in/ }} Sitamarhi is one of the districts of Bihar state, India, and Sitamarhi town is the administrative headquarters of this district. Sitamarhi district is a part of Tirhut Division. History This is the place where Sita was born, the main character of the epic Ramayana. The district is situated along the border of Nepal. In 1875, a Sitamarhi subdistrict was created within the Muzaffarpur district.Official Website of the District and Civil Court of Sitmahri, Retrieved May 26, 2010 Sitmarhi detached from Muzaffarpur and became a separate district as of December 11, 1972.District Health Action Plan, National Rural Health Mission, Government of Bihar, Retrieved May 25, 2010 It is situated in the northern part of Bihar. The district headquarters are located in Dumra, five kilometers south of Sitamarhi. Sitamarhi is a sacred place in Hindu mythology. Its history goes back to Treta Yug. Sita, the wife of Lord Rama sprang to life out of an earthenware pot, when Raja Janak was ploughing the field somewhere near Sitamarhi to impress upon Lord Indra for rain. It is said that Raja Janak excavated a tank at the place where Sita emerged and after her marriage set up the stone figures of Rama, Sita and Lakshman to mark the site. This tank is known as Janaki-kund and is south of the Janaki Mandir. In course of time, the land lapsed into a jungle until about 500 years ago, when a Hindu ascetic, named Birbal Das came to know the site by divine inspiration. He came down from Ayodhya and cleared the jungle. He found the images set up by Raja Janak, built a temple over there and commenced the worship of Janaki or Sita. The Janaki Mandir is apparently modern and is about 100 years old only. The town however contains no relics of archaeological interest. It has witnessed communal violence led by local politicians in the past but on the whole both the leading communities here a good rapport. This district is often bereaved by natural calamities. One of the most devastating is excess flooding due to mis-management of the banks by both civilians and government officials. Sitamarhi district became a fully-fledged district when it was split from Muzaffarpur district in 1972. 1994 saw the split of Sheohar district from Sitamarhi. The district is currently a part of the Red Corridor. Geography Sitamarhi district occupies an area of , comparatively equivalent to Australia's Groote Eylandt. Rivers: Bagmati, Lakhandei Economy In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Sitamarhi one of the country's 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640). It is one of the 36 districts in Bihar currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF). ,Recently sitamarhi announced naxal affected district by ministry of Rural development,Govt. of India. Divisions Subdivisions *Sitamarhi *Sadar *Belsand *Pupri Blocks The district is divided into 17 blocks (Taluks) *Bairgania *Bajpatti *Bathanaha *Belsand *Bokhra‡ *Chorout‡ *Dumra *Majorganj *Nanpur *Parihar *Parsauni‡ *Pupri *Riga *Runni Saidpur *Sonbarsa *Suppi‡ *SursandDistrict Profile, Sitamarhi District Administration, Accessed May 25, 2010 (‡ = Recently created) Villages *Shahargawan *gorhaul sharif *Bath Asli *Akhta *Koily *Dumari *Sahiyara *Mahuain Pathrahi (Bajpatti) *Kharka *Ajamgarh *Andahara *Bhasepur *Gosaipur *Tilaktajpur *Sarhachia *Kodhiyar *Rasalpur *Bela *Dheng *Maniyari *Madhopur *Bela Bahadurpur *Amanpur *Rudauli *Matiyar *Baduri *Hanuman, Nagar *Punaura *Ratwara *Basdev Pur Boha *Madhopur Chaturi *Bhalani Madan *Soura *Lalpur *Kauriya *Kodariya *Manik Chauk *Runi Saidpur *Hardiya *Durgauli *Koeli *Sirsi *Nanpur *Bhadiyan *Humayunpur(Dipu) *Jogiyara *kamtaul *Paktola *Mehsaul *Madhuban *Chakmahila *Dumra *Mohanpur *Bhavdepur *Bhairokothi *Bhupbhairo *Bariyarpur *Jainagar *Dostia *Chhaurahiya *Janipur *Madhesra Bishnupur Kam deo *Barma(Choraut) *Barari Behta *malmalla *mirjadpur *Pakri *Rewasi *Sahwajpur *Kharsan *Kushmari *(Balua panchayat)runni saidpur) *Chainpura *Hariharpur *Narayanpur *Balha *Rasalpur *madhubani *Ram Nagar *Ram nagra Transport * Connectivity: National Highway 77 connects the area to the Muzaffarpur district and Patna to the South.And NH 104 connect area East champaran to the west and Madhubani to east. State highways link it to the Madhubani (to the east) and Sheohar (to the west) districts. Railroad lines connect Sitamarhi to Darbhanga, Sitamarhi to Runnisaidpur and Sitamarhi to Bairgania(Broad-Gauge) and Muzaffarpur, Raxaul and Narkatiaganj Converting meter gauge to broad gauge work in progress. Demographics According to the 2011 census Sitamarhi district has a population of 3,419,622, roughly equal to the nation of Panama or the US state of Connecticut. This gives it a ranking of 96th in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of . Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 27.47 %. Sitamarhi has a sex ratio of 899 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 53.53 %. Culture * Festivals: Deepawali, Eid, Chhath Puja, Durga puja, Vishwakarma puja, Sarswati puja, Maha-shivratri, Holy deep in Baghmati on kartik Purnima and other festivals are celebrated with great enthusiasm. * Fairs: Maha Shivratri Mela, Vivah-Panchami Mela & Ramnavami Mela (huge market of cattles, horses and elephants are the main feature of these fairs) * Mosque: Hazrat Basharat Karim Mosque,Gorhaul sharif. * Temple: Maa Janki Madir, Vaisno Devi Mandir Notable people Senior Congress Leader, Member A.I.C.C,a dedicated Congressman from Bihar.]] * LateThakur Jugal Kishore Sinha MP & Freedom Fighter * LateRam Dulari Sinha Union Minister & Governor & Freedom Fighter * Madhurendra Kumar Singh Congress leader * Sitaram Yadav M.P * Dewesh Chandra Thakur Minister, Government of Bihar * Arjun Rai M.P * Nawal Kishore Rai M.P * Mrigendra Kumar Singh Congress Leader * Mahesh Ram Leader, Congress Party * Khalil Ansari Leader * Surendra Jha Leader * Bharat Prasad Education *Thakur Jugal Kishore Singh College *Sri Laxmi Kishori College *Sitamarhi Institute of Technology *Kendriya vidyalya jawahar nagar *Sri Radha Krishan Goenka College *Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial College,Sursand *Lakshmi High School *Delhi Public School *Bathnaha High School *S.H.B.S. Boarding School *D.A.V. Public School *Mathura High School *Bariyarpur High School *J.B. High School Majorganj *High School Runi Saidpur *High School Bela Shanti Kutir *High School Pupari *Middle School Bela Shanti Kutir *Middle School Basdev Pur Boha *Middle School Bhadiyan *Middle School Sahiyara *shri Lakhan Narayan Memorial High School Choraut *Mahanth sri Ayodhya Ramanuj High School, Rewasi *MP HIGH SCHOOL DUMRA SITAMARHI** *high school balua ()panchayat) *Ramshobha mandal (Samajsevi) Sports * Sports: Heman Trophy (cricket) is organised every year at the Goenka College Ground, which adds some zeal to the life of the youths. Cricket is played in every nook and corner of the district. References External links * Official website ** Political Map of Sitamarhi District (showing subdistricts) * Sitamarhi Information Portal Category:Tirhut Division Category:Districts of Bihar Category:Sitamarhi district Category:Minority Concentrated Districts in India